Jackson hosts second National Folk Festival weekend in November

Resident and visitors to downtown Jackson will have access to a free three-day cultural event this month. The National Folk Festival returns to the Mississippi capital from Friday, Nov. 13 to Sunday, Nov. 15. This marks the second of three planned weekends for the festival in the city. The event was founded in 1934 and is the oldest traditional arts gathering in the United States. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt supported the festival during its early years.

Jackson serves as the first Mississippi city to host the event. The 2026 edition follows a debut in 2025. Organizers selected a theme of America250 to coincide with the national celebration. The programming emphasizes the state’s role as a birthplace of American music. All events at the festival are free to the public. Food and merchandise vendors will be present throughout the venue.

The schedule begins on Friday, Nov. 13, with a concert on the Visit Mississippi Stage. The lineup includes Cedric Burnside and the Rising Stars Fife & Drum. That group combines hill country blues with African American fife and drum traditions. Friday activities run until 9:30 p.m. Saturday events occur from 12 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday programming concludes at 6 p.m. Vendors open at 5 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Performances will take place on nine stages located throughout downtown. The Ergon/Alliant Stage is situated at the intersection of Capitol and State Streets in front of the Old Capitol Museum. The Visit Mississippi Stage is located between Lamar and West Streets. The StateStreet Group Dance Pavilion occupies the “Welcome to Jackson” lot at Pearl and State Streets. The City With Soul Stage stands on West Street between Capitol and Pearl Streets.

Additional performance spaces are located in and around Smith Park. The Community Foundation for Mississippi/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Family Stage, the Mississippi Folklife Narrative Stage, and the Mississippi Folklife Stage are all within Smith Park. The VitalCore Health Strategies Mississippi Folklife Stage is positioned across Congress Street from the park. Street performers will operate along Capitol and Congress Streets.

Hundreds of performers, artisans, and demonstrators will participate in the weekend. Local music acts include blues artist Eddie Cotton Jr. and the Jackson-based Mississippi Mass Choir. New York beatboxer Rahzel is also on the roster. A festival market will feature handmade jewelry, bags, and other creations from 23 Mississippi artists. Food vendors include Las Delicias from Leland and the Big Apple Inn from Jackson.